The Art of Relationships
by Richan MMI
Summary: Five short interconnecting stories, with the G-boys and company. Each one examines a different characteristic of a relationship. There are new beginnings, and perfectly happy couples, even if they don't know it. ? 03, 04xR, 06x09, 02 05, ?xH Review PLZ!
1. The Art of Conversation

The Art of Conversation  
By Richan MMI  
Disclaimers: I don't own Gundam Wing.  
Warnings: a hint of lime, AU, shounen ai  
Pairing: Trowa+? (I'm keeping it a secret. Until the last quarter of the story, at least)  
AN: Written long, long ago, before I ever joined this site. It was up, way back then, but I pulled it off because I hated the series. I've reworked it, though, into something I like much better.

* * *

Silence.

It filled the cafeteria with an oppressive heaviness, one that seemed as if you could cut it with a knife. At least where two men were sitting. Trowa looked over at his companion, slightly surprised by the total absence of sound. The man across from him sat in total silence, doing nothing but staring at him.

His eyes widened, even though the other man could only see one.

The man just looked back at him, eyes intense in a set face. Raising an eyebrow, he watched Trowa's face as it shifted slightly from his usual stoic face to one of surprise.

"Nani?" Trowa asked.

The other man just shook his head and turned back to his lunch.

Trowa shook the newspaper he held in his hand, straightening it out so that he could read it. As he started to read again, he felt being watched again. Sighing inaudibly, he lowered the newspaper to look over at the other man. Figuring that he could give as good as he got, he stared at his companion, trying to goad him into conversation.

Putting the newspaper down after a couple of minutes, Trowa turned his head and looked out the window, wondering where his cool had disappeared. He glanced at the man out of the corner of his eye and noticed that he was being stared at still.

Trowa began. "Is there something wrong?"

Shaking his head, the man finished off his lunch methodically. Rising, he took his dishes over to the receptacle and returned to the table, and watched Trowa again.

Trowa looked around the cafeteria. The lunch crowd was thinning out, indicating that it was time to go back to work. He nodded at the man, relieved to get out of his sight for a while. The other pilot had been acting strangely all day, as if his personality had been switched in the night. Standing up, he grabbed the newspaper and headed towards his office.

Walking down the hall, he could feel he was being followed.

Turning around, Trowa waited for the other man to catch up to him. "What's the matter?"

Shaking his head, the other man stopped next to him. "Nothing."

"Something obviously is, or you wouldn't be following me." Not able to take it anymore, Trowa dragged the man into a nearby janitor's closet. "Now, tell me what's going on?"

The dark glint in the other boy's eyes should have given him a clue as to what would happen next, but he didn't see it in the dusk of the closet. He felt a soft wind across his lips, the only indication of the kiss that followed. Soft lips on his played with the lower lip, soon joined by a tongue that pressed against Trowa's mouth.

Opening his mouth slightly, Trowa felt the other man's tongue slide in, searching his mouth before twisting around his own tongue. Moaning at the sensation, he felt the man in front of him pull away. He didn't want it to stop, so he pulled the man back up to his lips, grinding against the warm mouth, wrapping his arms around the other man's shoulders.

Trowa felt arms wrap around his waist as they kissed. He let his hands wander into the soft hair resting on the other boy's neck, his fingers combing through the silky strands. He was startled when the kiss was ended abruptly, heavy breathing floating across his swollen lips.

"Do you understand what's going on now?" The voice of the other man was husky, full of passion.

"Heero," Trowa panted. "I-I don't understand. Why now?"

Heero put his forehead to Trowa's, blue eyes searching green. "Because it feels right. And because..." He pushed his hips into Trowa's, letting the other boy feel the erection under his jeans. "Ai shiteru."

Eyes opening wide, Trowa stared at the Japanese man in front of him. He had never had anyone say they loved him like this. Emotions exploded in his chest as he remembered what Heero had said all those years ago--to act on your feelings. Grabbing onto fate with both hands, he brushed his lips against Heero's. "I love you, too."

Trowa watched as a smile formed on Heero's face. The rare sight sent a warm glow through him as they left the closet, walking much closer than before.

* * *

Wufei put the ten credits in his hand down on the table. "Just how did you know?"

Quatre smiled. "Just something in the air."

Sally just looked at the two men as she put her money down on the table as well. "Well, who's next?" She laughed at the horror that crossed their faces as she went back into her office, leaving them to wonder what plot was running through her head.

* * *

Check out the next pairing, coming soon to a computer screen near you.  
Richan


	2. The Art of Politics

The Art of Politics  
By Richan MMI  
Disclaimers: I don't own Gundam Wing, and nothing much of anything else, either.  
Warnings: None.  
Pairing: QuatrexRelena. I know, it's a weird one.  
AN: Please review! I really want to hear what you think of this story!

* * *

Relena looked up from the paper she was reading. This was the second time in five minutes that Quatre had stood up to walk around the room. It was strange, since the man usually had the patience of a saint to deal with the small crisis that had arisen earlier in the week.

However, since that had been dealt with and they were putting the last finishing touches on the crisis he had been acting odd. It was almost as if he was trying to get himself to do something.

"Quatre?"

He turned his head at his name, but Relena knew that he hadn't _really_ heard her. It had been an automatic response to his name. Sighing, she gave up on trying to gain his attention and went back to the matter at hand.

Fifteen minutes later he was at it again. Relena hurried up the last paper and turned to the man pacing the length of the room in front of the large table they had both been seated at. She looked around and found the room deserted but for the two of them.

'I guess they couldn't put up with him today,' she thought.

Taking the matter in hand, she stood in his path and waited. Almost colliding with her, Quatre finally stopped with her blocking the way.

"Relena?"

She saw confusion in his eyes but it was quickly replaced by a nervous twinkle in the depths of his eyes. A quick thought raced through her mind that they were like the ocean after a storm but she shook her head. "Quatre, you need to sit down," she said in a quiet voice.

He looked startled as if he just realized his behavior. "Gomen."

Laughing softly, Relena smiled at him before going over to gather the papers she had been reading. She was startled when Quatre joined her. Turning to him, she looked carefully at his face again and found a determined look on it. "Quatre?"

"Relena," he started. "I have..."

She looked at him strangely when he stopped. "You have...?"

"I have something to tell you." The words rushed out of his mouth and he smiled a small smile, the embarrassment resting on his face in an endearing manner. She smiled at him encouragingly.

"I..." He stopped and took a swift breath before he looked into her eyes.

Relena didn't have time to think as he moved his head down to brush his lips against hers in a soft caress. Her brain stopped as he stood there, his mouth resting against hers as it lay there.

"I wanted to tell you that I love you," Quatre whispered.

Blue eyes widened in shock at the declaration, but they were threatening to pop out at his next words.

"And you love me."

Relena couldn't think as he slowly stepped back and turned back to gathering the papers on the table. 'What did he just say?' Her mind refused to function as a million thoughts went every direction but straight. Anger flowed through her as she realized that he had already moved on to the next thing in his life without giving her a chance to answer. Shock followed as she thought about how he had been acting lately and she just now noticed. A warm feeling flowed through her, but she couldn't name it. What was it?

She was brought back to the present when Quatre brushed against her arm as he moved away. Reaching out a hand, she held onto his arm when he would have gone to the other side of the table. Pulling the papers out of his hands, she set them back on the table.

"You're right." She stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his.

* * *

The door to the room opened without a sound and two faces looked quickly in before it shut again.

"You owe me five credits," Duo laughed.

Zechs shrugged. "I underestimated him in winning my sister." He dug into his pocket as he looked at the grinning former pilot. "I underestimated you as well, since you obviously knew what he was going to do."

Duo gave a quick bark of laughter as he pocketed the money. "The Q-man knows how to go after what he wants." He left it at that as puzzlement swept over Zechs' face. His laughter rang through the halls.

* * *

Questions for next time:  
Who is going to get paired up?  
Why is everybody betting on one another?  
And perhaps the most important one of all: Why did my brain come up with this one and am I really sane?  
Richan


	3. The Art of Smooth Talking

The Art of Smooth Talking  
By Richan  
Disclaimers: I don't own Gundam Wing.  
Warnings: A little sap.  
Pairing: ZechsxNoin

* * *

Zechs wondered if he was in for it this time. The tapping foot, the angry glance, all of it spoke to him that he was in _trouble._ Big time trouble.

Privately he was berating himself for forgetting one of the most important events in the life that stood in front of him. After all, he had only himself to thank when he woke up with a stiff neck from sleeping on the couch. Which is where he'll be tonight, and probably for the rest of the week at least. 'Good going there, Zechs.'

Bracing himself against the anger, Zechs looked deep into the eyes across from him.

"Gomen," he said in a soft voice.

A "humph" was his answer.

Not good. This meant that he had to try harder.

"I'm sorry that you thought I forgot," he started again. "I wouldn't even have done this if I thought that you would even think what you did."

Zechs carefully looked up through half-cast down lids into the face in front of his. Nope. This wasn't working either. Time to bring out the big guns. There were two options to choose from, and he had to be careful which one he was going to use.

His mind made up, he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled something out of it. Fingering it a slow motion, he brought it up to the person in front of him.

"I was saving this until tomorrow, when I wanted to take you out to dinner, but I want you to know just how much I love you," he said in a suave manner. His light blue eyes twinkled up into dark eyes.

"Oh Zechs," was the whisper back. The soft voice was tinged with tears as trembling fingers reached for the box and held it carefully.

Zechs reflected that the black box went well against those pale, long fingers. The slender hands just as strong as the mind that commanded them and he found both such a turn on. His collar suddenly seemed too tight as he saw the tremble in the hands worsen slightly.

"You ok?"

A nod was his only answer as a tear fell down the other's cheek. Zechs softly brushed his fingers against it, feeling the wetness against the pads. Long after the tear evaporated, his fingers traced a pattern across the soft cheek, as if they needed to memorize each subtle nuance that lay there. They caught another small droplet as they swept over soft lashes as they fluttered shut.

"Zechs."

"Mm?" He found himself looking once more into dark eyes as they shimmered with happiness.

"I think you're forgiven."

"Because of this?" Zechs put on a sad face, while mentally he was wiping the sweat off his brow. "I should have known better."

Soft hands cupped the box held between them before one reached over to brush against his cheek. "You know now. That's all I ask of you."

"But..." Zechs began.

A finger was laid against his lips, stopping his protestations in their tracks. It drifted away to pull open the velvet box again, drawing his eyes back to it.

"This wasn't necessary, Zechs."

"No. It wasn't," he agreed.

"I think that's why I lo--"

This time it was Zech's finger against soft lips. "You don't have to say it. I know." He looked down into those dark eyes that seemed to bore into his soul on some days and he wondered if they ever found something worthy. They must have since he was so easily forgiven.

"Zechs." The whisper seemed to carry so much emotion that it seemed to swell as the sea before a storm.

"I know." He gathered the trembling body in his arms and ran one hand through soft black hair. "I know, Lu."

* * *

Sally peeked in, Relena waiting impatiently next to her.

"Is everything ok?" the younger woman asked curiously.

"Yes." The brown haired woman turned to Relena after shutting the door. "How did you know?"

"I didn't," the other answered. "Say, Sally..."

Sally stopped in her tracks just knowing what was coming next. "When am I going to get someone to be with?"

Relena looked at her. "No. I was just going to ask when you think Zechs will admit he totally forgot and we had to remind him."

"Oh." Sally's face turned a slight shade of pink. "I'd say never."

* * *

Who knew that Zechs could be so sweet, in spite of forgetting an anniversary?  
Richan


	4. The Art of Sword Fighting

The Art of Sword Fighting  
By Richan MMI  
Disclaimers: I don't own the G-boys.  
Warnings: None.  
Pairing: Wufei+Duo

* * *

Wufei huffed under his breath and held his sword next to his side. This was becoming tiresome, the continual interruptions to his katas. Every time that he seemed to find the perfect rhythm, there was something else that he just had to look at.

"Kisama." The word floated out of his mouth as the sound of footsteps sounded through the hallway leading to the room he occupied. The door slid open and a peek of a brown braid slipped through the crack. "Go away," Wufei muttered.

The command was ignored as the other person came through the door, a large package in one hand.

Wufei sighed at the intrusion, one of many that were settling on his nerves like someone running their fingernails down the chalkboard. The hair on the back of his neck rose as the other person approached him, a wide smile on their lips.

"Wu-man!" Duo's cheerful voice grated on his ears. The happy lilt to it threatened something inside of Wufei that he was bound and determined to never free.

"Maxwell."

Bright purple eyes looked at him carefully. "You okay, Wu-man?"

"Kisama." Wufei cursed again. He must have let something slip. 'Shimatta!' He couldn't handle another interruption like Duo had just done. The overwhelming urge to throw a tantrum throbbed through his brain and he was barely able to keep it in check.

"Having a bad day, hm?" Duo's voice brought him out of his darkening thoughts as the sound of the other boy hitting the package with his free hand. "This might cheer you up a little then," Duo continued.

He held it out towards Wufei, who looked at it warily. It would be just like Maxwell if it were some trick or practical joke. Just what he didn't need on a day like this. He held the box as if it were some nitro placed near an open flame and carefully unwrapped the plain brown paper that surrounded it. Finding he couldn't open it up without setting it down, he made his way over to the small table on which the sheath for his sword lay.

Wufei lifted the lid and looked down. A millisecond later, his tawny eyes searched out the smiling eyes across from him.

"What is this, Maxwell?"

"What you think it is!" Duo's voice rang through his ears.

Strange. Just a second ago he had been _this_ close to wrapping his sword around the other's throat, but now he wanted to...to....

A strangled sound left his throat, startling the both of them. It was soon followed by a soft noise from inside the box, drawing Wufei's attention back to it. Reaching down into it as if it were a pit of snakes a la 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' he drew his hand back, holding a bundle of soft fur. Two golden eyes blinked sleepily back at him as a small pink tongue curled halfway through a huge yawn.

Wufei stared at the creature as its small ears twitched at some sound. The quick movement brought the realization that he was making the odd noise. It was something he hadn't heard in a long time....

"Wufei?"

Believing that his hearing must be wrong, Wufei looked up to see Duo watching him, concern swimming in his eyes. Even as he did so, a shimmer crossed them as confusion set in.

"I--I thought you might...um...like it." Duo's voice trailed off as he looked down at the floor. "I...."

Wufei listened to the silence that fell over the room between the two boys. As he did so, he softly rubbed the soft fur. A rumbling began under his fingers as they caressed the small kitten he held. The noise sounded much like the ones he was making, but they were joyous. His were... sad.

A drop of moisture across his hand drew his eyes back to the kitten. It was cautiously licking his hand before it stopped and looked up at him. It yawned once more, its jaw widening so much that Wufei feared it would break it. Instead, the kitten curled up, still purring, and settled in for a quick forty winks.

Wufei held it carefully as he looked at it. The small creature had found peace in his hand. The same hand that had the blood of many on it. The same hand that had...

A sniffling sound broke his thoughts. Looking up, he found Duo watching him. Tears sat at the corners of his eyes, threatening to fall at the slightest movement. The sad look didn't belong on the heart-shaped face across from him.

Throwing everything he had learned until five minutes ago out the window for once, Wufei let a small smile touch his lips. The muscles protested the action, but the shock that raced across Duo's face was worth the effort.

"Wufei?"

"Hai, Duo?"

Wufei watched in amusement as Duo's mouth opened and closed a few times, no sound emitting from it. Maybe it was time for something different.

Careful not to disturb the sleeping kitten, he leaned quickly over and put his forehead to Duo's. "Arigato," he whispered. He watched as the purple eyes, centimeters away from his, widened before they lightened into soft lavender.

"You're welcome."

The only sound there after was an odd rumbling sound.

* * *

Quatre eyed the keys that dangled in front of him. The risk he had taken had paid off, and besides what he got, Wufei and Duo were well on their way to becoming a couple.

"You will take good care of it, right?"

The blond boy looked up and found anxious azure eyes.

"Don't worry, Zechs. I'll take good care of your baby," he said as he left the room.

Lucrezia laughed at the tall man who looked as if he wanted to weep. "I told you never to take a bet with him. And you had to take the gamble, with your car for the prize." Soft laughter floated through the air as the door shut. "Baka."

* * *

AN: Please review! I would really like some feedback on this story.  
Richan


	5. The Art of Wooing

The Art of Wooing  
by Richan  
Disclaimers: I don't own the boys, or the girls, or the cool mechas. Sigh.  
Warnings: Harmless bit o' fluff. About as cute as a kitten and puppy picture.  
AN: I'm so terribly sorry that it took forever to get this chapter out. I had some major computer problems, and am still having them.

* * *

Hilde stood by the window, looking at the night scene below her. The bright shimmer of the lights as they faded into the blanket of darkness seemed to call to her. But she couldn't go out tonight and it was all due to the person she was avoiding at the moment. The same person sitting patiently--well, almost patiently--for her to come back to their work.

She was becoming more and more distracted, though. The work in front of her seemed disinteresting, far more so than the person she sat across from. The desk may have been lined with gold for all she paid attention to it.

Not good. The work that they had to get through was important. Relena needed to update the rest of the cabinet on what it contained in the morning, and Hilde had.... She couldn't say that she had volunteered selflessly, when none of the others had been able to offer their help, since she had been planning on getting through it quickly to meet up with some of her friends for a night out on the town. That plan had quickly been nixed when she had gotten 'help.'

Some help this had turned out to be. Hilde found she couldn't keep herself from looking into a pair of twinkling eyes. An odd sight on what was normally a somber face, yet she thought that they looked much better than the haunted memories that floated behind them.

"Hilde."

She turned at the soft voice, determined to get through the papers so she could leave as fast as she could. Sitting once more in her chair, she reached for a paper, startled when her fingers brushed against the other's.

"G-gomen." Hilde cursed at the slight tremor in her voice, never noticing the smile cross the other person's face at the faint blush that spread across her cheeks.

"Don't worry about it, Hilde."

This time the soft voice rolled over her like a wave--as if she were standing in the ocean at the highest tide. The blush staining her cheeks deepened and she dipped her head down to the table, hoping against hope that her hair would cover it.

Soon she forgot about the incident as she became engrossed in the papers she was looking at. Hilde kept her attention on them, concentrating hard until a hand on her shoulder startled her.

"Ah!"

Quickly turning around, she leveled an angry look at her present partner. Instead of them backing away like she hoped, a small chuckle sounded through the room. Huffing, Hilde turned back to the papers she had been reading.

Frustration flowed through her as a gaumet of emotions swept over her. She wasn't sure why she was reacting this way. All she knew was that it had to stop before she completely lost what sanity she had left.

She was almost to the door when a soft voice called her name. Turning around, she looked at the other person in the room. "Hai?"

The only noise in the room was the soft padding sounds of the other's footsteps. Softly calloused hands cupped her cheeks as hot breath blew across her lips. "Don't go."

The words echoed in Hilde's ears as soft lips brushed hers, before they were lost in the feeling she was swept into. She found herself wrapping her arms around the other's neck, standing on the tips of her toes for better access to the sweet kiss that quickly escalated into something bigger. She felt the other start to pull back, so she held on tighter, her lips starting to bruise from the force behind her movements.

"Hilde." The whispered words sounded so far away as Hilde was separated from the other's lips. She opened dark, passion-filled eyes to the other.

"Sally."

The other woman wore a soft expression in her blue eyes as a smile spread across her face. "I've been wanting to do that all night," she quietly said.

A startling revelation raced through Hilde's mind as the words reached her ears. "I've been wanting you to."

Surprise ran across Sally's cheeks before she leaned in once more to capture Hilde's lips.

* * *

Wufei pulled Duo back from the door he was listening at. "Mah fahn yau*," he sternly said as he pulled the other down the hallway.

Duo cheekily grinned. "You know you love me anyway," he laughed. He glomped onto the Chinese man as a blush stained his cheeks. "Besides, I know that you want everybody to be just as happy as we are."

Wufei stopped dead in the middle of the hallway. Pulling slightly back from the American, he then leaned down to brush his lips against the other's softly. "Aa."

Quatre's voice interrupted the pair as it floated closer to them. A soft giggle accompianed his words, alerting Duo that he wasn't alone. He looked up to see Relena laughing with Noin as the two women talked quietly. Zechs, Heero, and Trowa walked behind the other three. Zechs pretended to listen to his wife and sister while the other two ignored them completely.

"Break it up, you two," Quatre sunnily said. "Don't celebrate just yet."

"Duo likes to celebrate," Relena reminded him as he looked at the embracing pair. "But I do think he's a little early for this one."

Wufei realized that he was still holding Duo and released him from the embrace. "Better than not doing so."

A door opened down the hall and Sally stuck her head out. "Go away!" she shouted.

The group gathered in the hall laughed (or snickered) at the shout before heading off to get the party started.

~OWARI~

*mah fahn yau - troublemaker (Chinese)


End file.
